10 replies to this topic

[eyelookok2blindgurls]

Recently I have been suffering from severe bouts of depression for no apparent reason , doe anyone else get like this , I have never really ever got depressed before

[Travelling Blackbird]

Yes, I believe periods of depression, sadness, anger and frustration are something that many wheelchair users struggle with, particularly in the early years, but not only. I find winter hard, since my ability to get out and do things is less then, there's less sunlight, which affects everyone, and I'm more bothered by pain.

[greybeard]

You're not alone. I was lucky enough to have a doctor who saw through my attempts at macho bravado and pushed me until I cracked up. She prescribed a tiny daily does of citalopram.

It taught me that there is no shame in admitting that you can't cope. I am pleased to say that after taking the meds for a couple of months, I can once again spit life right in the eye. Seek help if you need it.

(addendum)
Incidentally it's not "for no apparent reason". Your a crip like many of us. It's natural to get pi@@ed of with it from time to time.

Edited by greybeard, 22 February 2009 - 04:11 PM.

[longhaul]

Don't go there depression is best avoided at all costs. By focusing on being depressed it becomes your whole world. It's just as easy being happy as it is being sad and don't confuse melancholy with depression. The minute it hits you do something to change it, a movie a friend (one with a good attitude) most anything be creative get silly think of off the wall reasons not to be depressed . Good luck.......

[eyelookok2blindgurls]

I think a lot of it is caused by other peoples negativity , I am generally very possitive , but the majority of people around here are negative , the general consensus of people in my area is disabled people should spend there lives at home staring at walls , I am considering relocating but being financially able to do so might be a problem .
Also certain members of my partners family& their friends are doing their damndest to break us up , as they consider she has ruined her life by wanting to be with me & have almost destroyed the bussiness we set up to try & force us apart.

[greybeard]

longhaul, on Feb 23 2009, 03:14 AM, said:

Don't go there depression is best avoided at all costs. By focusing on being depressed it becomes your whole world. It's just as easy being happy as it is being sad and don't confuse melancholy with depression. The minute it hits you do something to change it, a movie a friend (one with a good attitude) most anything be creative get silly think of off the wall reasons not to be depressed . Good luck.......

All well and good, but sometimes it is not just a matter of state of mind that causes depression. There can also be a chemical cause and no amount of positive thinking will correct that. An example is an in-balance of serotonin - a neurotransmitter - in the brain. This is a well documented cause of depression and is easily treated by administering drugs like citalopram.

[Slowlegs]

eyelookok2blindgurls, on Feb 23 2009, 03:40 AM, said:

I think a lot of it is caused by other peoples negativity , I am generally very possitive , but the majority of people around here are negative , the general consensus of people in my area is disabled people should spend there lives at home staring at walls , I am considering relocating but being financially able to do so might be a problem .
Also certain members of my partners family& their friends are doing their damndest to break us up , as they consider she has ruined her life by wanting to be with me & have almost destroyed the bussiness we set up to try & force us apart.

Hi Eyelook
I get depressed occasionally but it runs in my family. For years I did the "macho" thing by trying to act tough. Eventually it was the turmoil of a bad relationship that broke me. Now, I try to live one day at a time. I have a list of my favourite things to do and I try to do at least one of them a day. A few months ago I was driving home from work and saw this really amazing cloud formation. I try and find something beautiful in each day. One day in winter it was even the colour of a no parking line in the gloom. Winter is bad for me too and so is getting stuck in routine. I have a few choice "anti depression" CD's I listen and drive along with all the windows down and the stereo on three quarter volume. Don't hide your depression and feel free to PM me. I'm in Auckland so if you're handy perhaps we could catch up for a coffee some time.

Edited by Slowlegs, 23 February 2009 - 09:18 AM.

[zafree]

let me be blunt,smoke it

[longhaul]

greybeard, on Feb 23 2009, 12:39 AM, said:

longhaul, on Feb 23 2009, 03:14 AM, said:

Don't go there depression is best avoided at all costs. By focusing on being depressed it becomes your whole world. It's just as easy being happy as it is being sad and don't confuse melancholy with depression. The minute it hits you do something to change it, a movie a friend (one with a good attitude) most anything be creative get silly think of off the wall reasons not to be depressed . Good luck.......

All well and good, but sometimes it is not just a matter of state of mind that causes depression. There can also be a chemical cause and no amount of positive thinking will correct that. An example is an in-balance of serotonin - a neurotransmitter - in the brain. This is a well documented cause of depression and is easily treated by administering drugs like citalopram.

And very rare........

[nomis]

Tricky thing depression because of the different types. If you go see a doctor he/she'll put you on Prozac or some other drug whether you need it or not.

Some depressions are, apparently, due to a chemical imbalance in which case drugs might be a solution. But my personal bias is not to trust medical people around other types of depression, particularly when it might be a 'reactive' condition, that is a healthy reaction/warning to some event.

You've got some threatening and frustrating personal problems with your partner's family, etc, Maybe that is the cause and dealing with it the solution.

But I notice you say the depression arises for 'no apparent reason' which makes me wonder if it is a reaction to becoming quadraplegic. I only have my own experience to trust and for me, I hit a depression wall 13 years after my accident. By all appearances and awarenesses I had dealt with my injury extremely well. The depression (over 6 months) took me into previously unknown depths and confrontations of what my reality as a para really was. I came to a point where I accepted it (again, on a level I'd previously not known) and emerged a helluvalot stronger. Maybe the most important experience of my life.

If it's your personal problems then that's a problem that needs solving one way or another.

As for the other possible causes, from how I see things, I reckon you need to dicide if you get medical help and treat it that way or you decide to explore it to see where it takes you and maybe use the guidance of an experienced counsellor. The downside of exploring it is that it will take an indetermined time but I like the rewards.

[qbounce]

eyelookok2blindgurls, on Feb 22 2009, 08:40 PM, said:

I think a lot of it is caused by other peoples negativity , I am generally very possitive , but the majority of people around here are negative , the general consensus of people in my area is disabled people should spend there lives at home staring at walls , I am considering relocating but being financially able to do so might be a problem .
Also certain members of my partners family& their friends are doing their damndest to break us up , as they consider she has ruined her life by wanting to be with me & have almost destroyed the bussiness we set up to try & force us apart.

Not to tear your positivity theory apart, but even your name in this site sends out a darker image of how you view yourself, even if it's a humorous attempt.

You may need to look a little deeper within and not put the blame so readily on others.